"I guess you're not hungry. Let's go buy some daily necessities then."
Picking up Minccino, whose little belly was bulging, Natsuki walked out of the Pokémon Center.
Minccino, Chatot, and Mudbray were all small Pokémon, so there was no need to return them to their Poké Balls. Natsuki simply let them follow behind him.
Being in the city for the first time and seeing so many humans and Pokémon, the trio couldn't get enough. Their eyes darted everywhere, curious about everything.
Natsuki explained things patiently, and it took a full half-hour before they reached the general goods department store.
Starting from the first floor, Natsuki began his shopping spree floor by floor. Rice, flour, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey— none could be left out.
He also needed fresh vegetables and a small amount of meat, though he only bought enough for a few days.
The weather was getting hotter, and without a refrigerator in the ranch house, meat wouldn't last long.
Thinking of a refrigerator, Natsuki went to check the price of generators. The wheel-style generators used by small Pokémon like Pikachu, Dedenne, or Pachirisu were priced as high as five thousand.
'Can't afford it, can't afford it.'
'Time to bail.'
While the fireplace worked great and handled both lighting and heating, Natsuki knew it was only a temporary measure.
Once he harvested the first crop of spring vegetables and had some income, it wouldn't be too late to buy electronics then.
In the summer, the lack of air conditioning would be lethal. The Pokémon would also need a way to cool down.
Finally, Natsuki bought some grazing grass seeds and ended his shopping spree, having spent a total of 2,000 Poké Dollars.
"Mudbray, is this really okay?"
The bags hanging on both sides of Mudbray were stuffed full, sagging slightly under the weight.
"Mud-mud~"
Mudbray shook its head, indicating this weight was nothing to it.
"Alright! If it gets to be too much, you have to tell me. Don't push yourself."
For the return trip, Natsuki chose to walk. Chatot circled at a low altitude to lead the way, while Natsuki followed closely behind carrying Minccino.
Mudbray, despite carrying so many things, seemed quite relaxed as it followed, walking with a spring in its step.
At the ranch gate, Kangaskhan, who was lying bored at the entrance, suddenly pricked up her ears. She stood up and stared straight down the road.
Noticing the familiar figure, Kangaskhan let out an excited roar and ran forward.
She picked Natsuki up in a heavy embrace, acting spoiled in his arms as if telling him how much she missed him.
"Alright, alright, you're a big kid now. Why are you still like this?"
Natsuki patted Kangaskhan helplessly, signaling for her to put him down
After calming Kangaskhan down, Natsuki sent the Pokémon off to play while he unloaded the supplies from Mudbray, organizing them one by one onto the shelves of the small house.
While he was at it, he recorded today's expenses and determined tomorrow's tasks.
The wasteland he had cleared not long ago was ready for planting. In addition to the strawberry seeds he received from Ding Zhi and Penny's ranch, Natsuki had purchased several other types of seeds this time, all best-sellers.
These crops had high economic value, though they were a bit more troublesome to look after.
In contrast, the grazing grass seeds could just be scattered casually.
Fortunately, he had the Mudbray now, otherwise, Natsuki wouldn't have dared to take the risk. One oversight and his investment could have gone down the drain.
Their high proficiency in the move Rototiller was the source of Natsuki's confidence. These Mudbray were essentially three experienced veteran farmers.
After mapping out the plan for the coming week, Natsuki prepared dinner as well.
The next day was warm and sunny— a rare streak of clear weather. Natsuki and the Pokémon woke up early, finished breakfast, and began working in the fields.
First were the strawberry seeds.
Normally, one would need to start seedlings in advance, but since Natsuki had acquired actual young plants, he could skip that step.
Strawberries shouldn't be planted too sparsely or too densely. Before planting each seedling, he tossed a handful of fertilizer into the hole.
Natsuki chose Speedy-Gro, which promotes rapid growth. It shortens the growth cycle by 10%, allowing crops to mature early and reducing uncertainty during the process.
Since it was his first time planting, Natsuki's expectations weren't high. As long as he didn't kill them, it was a victory.
Working in perfect harmony with the Pokémon, row after row of strawberry plants were set into the ground. Neatly arranged, they were a pleasing sight to behold.
After the strawberries came the cabbage. He sowed the seeds by the handful, sprinkled them with water, and then asked the Mudbray to perform Rototiller.
The strawberries and cabbage each occupied a third of the newly reclaimed land.
For the final third, Natsuki chose an ornamental crop: Tulips. These decorative flowers were highly popular in Shalour City, and Natsuki hoped to fetch a good price for this first batch.
He transplanted the pre-treated bulbs into the field, watering and fertilizing them one by one to ensure proper nutrition.
A long while later, the work was finished. Natsuki stood on the ridge with his hands on his hips, gazing at the lush green seedlings before him.
Before long, these would transform into shiny gold coins.
With the day's work done, Natsuki suddenly found himself with nothing to do.
It was exceptionally hot today, and he didn't feel like going fishing.
His gaze swept over the Pokémon before finally landing on the pile of ingredients he bought yesterday.
Since he had time to kill, he figured he'd see if he could research a Pokémon-exclusive dish.
As soon as the thought came to mind, Natsuki sprang into action.
The diets of different Pokémon are quite bizarre. Aside from normal meat, eggs, milk, and vegetables, things like soil, rocks, metal, sunlight, life force, and even emotions can be food for certain species.
Natsuki ultimately decided to make a signature dish for the Mudbray, using mud as the main ingredient. Even if it failed, it wouldn't be a waste of expensive resources, allowing him to experiment freely.
So, what kind of food can you make out of mud?
For a moment, Natsuki was stumped by the question, feeling a sense of helplessness.
'Could I imitate children playing house? Mud is highly plastic and can be molded into almost anything.'
Putting theory into practice, Natsuki went to the lake and dug up some clean mud. He sat cross-legged under the shade of a tree and began mixing it.
"Mud-mud?"
The Mudbray lying in the mud pool looked over, tilting their heads in curiosity.
'Does the Trainer like playing with mud too? Should we invite him in to play together? But Big Sister Minccino said we shouldn't get dirty...'
The three Mudbray stared at each other, caught in a state of hesitation. They really wanted to play with their favorite human.
Focused on the task at hand, Natsuki didn't notice the three heads peeking out nearby.
He first kneaded the mud into a smooth, dough-like consistency and divided it into three equal portions.
He picked up one piece, imagined the shape of a cake base, and pinched the edges to sculpt it into a circle.
While the base air-dried, Natsuki didn't waste time and began crafting "cream" and decorations for the cake.
About thirty minutes later, a three-tiered cake made entirely of mud appeared. The mud cake featured not only cream but various ornaments, and Natsuki had even sliced some berries as accents.
If the mud were replaced with flour, it would have been a perfect cake.
Natsuki nodded slightly at his own handiwork as the information for the mud cake surfaced.